A Pokemon fan found something truly stunning when opening a time capsule from more than two decades ago, stumbling across sealed Base Set packs. Pokemon took the world by storm following the monster-catching franchise's debut in the late 1990s and quickly grew into one of the most lucrative properties in pop culture. Pokemon has earned billions of dollars throughout its history between its nine generations of video games, the mega-popular trading card game, and its litany of other merchandise. However, the Pokemon TCG boasts some of the franchise's most valuable collectibles.
Pokemon's long-running trading card game branch has been incredibly successful. Throughout the nearly three decades of the franchise's history, the Pokemon TCG has grown and evolved into a haven for both collectors and players. New sets added to the game, like Phantasmal Flames and the upcoming Ascended Heroes, continue to bring highly sought-after cards, while the older sets gain even more value as their scarcity increases. Now, a particularly lucky Pokemon fan has made an incredible find when opening a 26-year-old time capsule, discovering some expensive Pokemon packs within.
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Pokemon Fan Finds Expensive Packs in Old Time Capsule
Reddit user Kuja_4040 showed off their truly incredible find on the Pokemon TCG subreddit. The user shares the story of opening up an old family time capsule from the year 2000, discovering three sealed packs from the Pokemon TCG's Base Set. Each pack was still encased in its original blister packaging, featuring both the Blastoise and Charizard artworks on the packs. The packs include plenty of relics from the Pokemon TCG's inception as well, including a much older logo for Wizards of the Coast on the packaging. Kuja_4040 also shared their intentions with the rare Pokemon packs, not intending to open or sell them but instead adding them to their sealed collection.
The impressive Pokemon discovery is made even more astounding when looking at the value of the franchise's Base Set packs. Sealed blister packs of the Unlimited printing of Pokemon's Base Set typically fetch high price tags, with recent sales on eBay reaching over $1,000. The set includes some of the most expensive cards in Pokemon TCG history, including the iconic Base Set Charizard that can often fetch thousands of dollars in good condition. Many fans in the replies also suggested potentially weighing the blister packs, with "heavy" packs being more likely to contain holofoil cards and boasting higher prices.
Pokemon's Base Set Has Achieved Iconic Status
The impact of the Pokemon TCG's Base Set on the franchise has seen the card game revisit its original set plenty of times. One of the most notable examples came with 2016's "XY - Evolutions" expansion, featuring reprints of a multitude of Base Set cards, including a new version of Charizard. Pokemon's 25th anniversary "Celebrations" set similarly reprinted several popular holo cards from Base Set in its "Classic Collection" sub-set, featuring the final evolutions of Kanto's Starter Pokemon, Pikachu, and Imposter Professor Oak. With another big anniversary on the way as well, fans could potentially expect more nostalgia coming from the franchise soon.
Pokemon is gearing up to kick off another major celebration in 2026, with the franchise reaching a huge milestone. February 27 will officially mark the 30th anniversary of Pokemon, with The Pokemon Company expected to pull out all the stops for its festivities. The company is expected to give fans the first news about Pokemon's 10th generation of games in early 2026, likely coinciding with the annual Pokemon Day livestream. The Pokemon TCG will likely debut a nostalgic new release as well, following up the previously-mentioned Celebrations and XY - Evolutions releasing during big anniversaries. Pokemon fans should have lots to look forward to as the franchise celebrates three decades of success.